<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43212922-our-wild-calling">Our Wild Calling </a>  delves into the subject of our lost sense of identity in relation to the natural world and all the living things that surround us, such as plants and animals, and aims to address the need of reconnecting with our wild side.

Our Wild Calling - Book 

"Poems are constricted not only with words but also from the spaces between the words. This is true for our relationships with other people, and it is also true for our connection to other animals l."-Richard Louv

Author Quote 

If you have a feeling that something’s missing from your life, yet can’t really put a finger on it, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43212922-our-wild-calling">Our Wild Calling: How Connecting with Animals Can Transform Our Lives—and Save Theirs </a>by <a href="https://richardlouv.com/">Richard Louv </a>might be the book for you.  The author addresses the urge all humans have to reconnect with nature and its earthlings, an urge often repressed in today’s society.  The beauty behind reconnecting with the natural world lies within our native inclination to gravitate towards our rawest, purest form. By doing so, we improve our self-awareness and become more grounded.

Book Overv

Plus, the benefits that arise from spending more time in nature go far beyond improved health, including a sense of reconnection with oneself and a clearer, more peaceful mind.

<ol><li>Connecting with animals can help us tame loneliness.  </li><li>Humans are quite similar to animals, sharing common motivators.  </li><li>Our planet needs us just as much as we need it, so it’s our duty to protect it. </li> </ol>

Top 3 Book Ideas

Animals are a God-given gift to our planet. Everything about them is remarkable if you allow yourself to notice it and immerse yourself in their beauty. As the author suggests, in order to reconnect with nature and your wild side, you must connect yourself to animals first.  As such, make sure to take a day off and explore your natural surroundings. How? Let me explain! Once you step foot in nature, detach yourself from all your thoughts and worries, and simply focus on whatever you see.

Lesson 1: Notice the beauty of animals and connect with them

Whether there’s a group of squirrels around you, a fox, a small lizard, or any animal at all, just explore their beauty, look for inspiration in their little routines, and try to connect with them. You can talk, follow, play with them, or do whatever makes you happy when you’re around them.  The connection humans have with animals goes <a href="https://fourminutebooks.com/the-four-agreements-summary/">way back to ancestral times </a>. Our co-dependence existed from the beginning when our species would live together and share common practices. The fondness we have towards them is extremely powerful and lasts to our days.

Just look at all pet owners who consider their little animals like their family members. It’s only natural for us to form connections with other species, so in order to live a healthier and happier life, take some time to connect with them.

Rene Descartes was a French philosopher in the seventeenth century. Although he discovered some brilliant philosophical facts, he also came up with <a href="https://fourminutebooks.com/descartes-error-summary/">a rather disappointing concept </a>– that animals were resources to exploit for the development of humans, and they exist to serve humans such as robots.  Naturally, the convenience of this idea was enough to make everyone adopt this philosophy. Since then, people alienated themselves from animals more and more, creating a society based on consumption and making us lose <a href="https://fourminutebooks.com/feral-summary/">our sense of connectivity with them </a>.

Lesson 2:  Humans and animals resemble each other in many ways.

However, recent studies suggest that humans and animals are more similar than we might’ve thought. Dogs, for example, are social animals, just like us. They crave a sense of belongingness and live well in communities.  We also share similar motivators with animals. Moreover, we have a shared sense of identity that makes our encounters feel natural and happy, and if we see that an animal is hurting, we feel for them.

If we manage to once again let humans and animals coexist and contribute to each other’s happiness, we’ll be one step closer to becoming more grounded and fulfilled.

Not all change has to be groundbreaking and monumental. Sometimes a small act of kindness and consideration can improve everything around us. Think of a bird that can get trapped in a plastic foil and die or a turtle that may get caught up in other types of residue.  However, if we pay more attention to our planet and clear our waste whenever we get a chance, we might be one step closer to saving the world.

Lesson 3:  Help the environment by protecting it

Nowadays, people seem to be too interested in profits, and forget about the bigger picture: this planet is our only home, and if we don’t maintain it, there’s not going to be another one waiting for us.  Therefore, we must mobilize ourselves and educate our communities to reduce waste, recycle, and nurture our fauna. With a little bit of empathy and a strong sense of responsibility, we can bring the necessary change to our society.

The ecophilosopher Glenn Albrecht developed a concept named solophilia, which implies that if we help our environment and take care of our animals, we’ll help ourselves.  This philosophy proves how a series of actions can dictate our quality of life on this planet, so it’s truly up to each and every one of us to take action and do away with the detrimental actions we make every day.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43212922-our-wild-calling">Our Wild Calling </a>highlights the importance of having a connection with nature, animals, and all earthlings in general. By reconnecting with our roots in the natural world, something remarkable clicks in our brain, which in turn makes us feel less stressed, less anxious, and more grounded.  This book will teach you how to observe the beauty of nature, recall your wild side, and connect with the world as it is – raw, healing, and eternal. Frankly, this is a must-read for every modern, busy human stuck in the digital era, and not only.

Our Wild Calling - Book Review

The 30-year-old office worker who feels like they’re spending too much time inside their walls, the 24-year-old person who wants to connect with nature on a deeper level, and anyone approaching retirement, which they’d like to use to spend more time outside.

Who would I recommend the Our Wild Callingto?

Read our summary of Our Wild Calling by Richard Louv to rediscover the magical connection we have with animals.

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Our Wild Calling Summary

A compilation of words and phrases to use in general conversations, or when in the moment of prayer to Allah SWT, looking into the translations and meanings of each, including benefits of recitation.

Jazāk Allāhu Khayran (جَزَاكَ ٱللَّٰهُ خَيْرًا) is a term used as an Islamic expression of gratitude meaning "May Allah reward you with goodness." It asks for Allah SWT to bestow blessings or good to the individual rather than just saying thanks.Jazakallah is “May Allah reward you”, this itself is incomplete, as it could suggest God reward you with bad or evil.Muslims should reciprocate kindness, so when one does good to him, the least we can do is say Jazakallah khairan. It's a sign of appreciation and can make the person who did you a favor feel good about themselves.

JazakAllah Khairan

The literal meaning of Mashallah is "what God has willed", in the sense of "what God has willed has happened".Mashallah, also written Masha'Allah, is often said to show appreciation for something happening for a person. It's a way to show respect, and serves as a reminder that everything is achieved by the will of Allah SWT.

Masha'Allah

The meaning of the Arabic phrase Allahumma Barik is “May Allah Bless You”. Say Allahumma Barik whenever you praise or compliment someone and whenever you want to wish the person well or send blessings.

Allahumma Barik

“If one of you sees something with his brother that he admires, let him pray for blessing (barakah) for him.”“If one of you sees in himself or his brother something that he likes, let him pray for blessings, for the evil eye is real.”

Allahu Akbar, written as الله أكبر in Arabic, is a phrase meaning ‘God is most great’, used by Muslims in prayers and as a general declaration of faith or thanksgiving.It is the first word that is whispered in the ears of a newborn Muslim, and it is the last word that is spoken when they lower a Muslim in their grave.

Allahu Akbar

Allahu Akbar is said to seek strength, courage and hope; it expels fear and anxiety from your heart. It is the instrument of the Muslim through which he seeks difficulties to be lightened and made easy.Adherents of the Islamic faith use Allahu Akbar to show their gratitude to Allah SWT. It is a powerful phrase that allows one to understand that Allah SWT is greater than any concern that they might have and that He will provide a solution for it.

Inshallah, or In shāʾ Allāh, إِنْ شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ meaning "if Allah wills it".Insha'Allah is used by Muslims whenever they express their hopes for the future. Hence, inshallah is an affirmation of one’s faith in divine providence, it expresses a trust in Allah’s will after performing human actions.We do what we can, as humans, and leave the rest to Allah SWT..

Insha'Allah

In essence, it shifts one’s mindset from one of scarcity and anxiety to one of abundance and hopeful expectation.If you want something to happen, you should say inshaAllah before you say anything else about it.

'And never say of anything: ‘I shall definitely do this tomorrow,’ without adding: ‘If Allah wills it!’

"Subhan Allah" meaning Allah SWT is perfect in an absolute sense. Contextually, it's often said at times of amazement and in moments of joyous delights.To say “subhanAllah” from the heart, you acknowledge that He is perfect, above anything in the creation, and that everything that comes from Him is perfect i.e. Allah is the one and only, the most glorious, and is a declaration that he is above any fault, or shortcoming.

SubhanAllah

Bismillah (بسم الله) is a phrase in Arabic meaning "in the name of Allah". It is also the first word in the Qur'an.The Bismillah is used extensively in everyday Muslim life, said as the opening of each action in order to receive blessing from God.Generally, we recite Bismillah before any action. By doing so, we ask for Allah's blessings and remind ourselves that everything we do is by the will of Allah. When we say 'Bismillah' then Allah SWT takes all harm away from the food. Always say 'Bismillah' before you eat and be thankfull towards your Creator.

Bismillah 

Astaghfirullah, also spelt Istigfar, literally translates to "I seek forgiveness in Allah". It is a short prayer of redemption, an expression of guilt or shame.Astaghfirullah is the gateway of relief and happiness. Whenever you are in distress, start reciting it repeatedly, Insha Allah it will take you out of your anxiety and will put you in a peaceful situation and will give you happiness. Istighfar removes anxiety and prayers are answered.

Astagfirullah 

Ameen, also spelt Āmīn (آمين) is the Arabic form of Amen. In Islam, it is used with the same meaning as in Judaism and Christianity; when concluding a prayer or after a supplication.English translations of the word Ameen include “verily”, “truly”, “it is true”, and “let it be so”. It is also used colloquially, to express strong agreement.Saying Ameen is a way for believers to offer their words of acknowledgment and agreement up to the Almighty, with humility and hope that Allah SWT hears and answers their prayers.

Ameen

The term “La ilaha illallah” means “there is no God but Allah”. Every Muslim believes in this and testifies to it.It protects you from the flames of hell as stated by the Prophet PBUH.The conditions of La ilaha illa-Allah are: knowledge, certainty, submission, following, truthfulness, sincerity and love.

La ilaha illallah

"Indeed I will teach you a sentence, no servant pronounces it from his heart and then dies on that belief, unless (Allah SWT) forbids his body from the fire of hell. That is the sentence la ilaha illallah.”

Shukran comes from the root verb shakara (شكر) meaning “to thank”. it is used in all Arabic-speaking countries, in both formal and informal settings, and is understood widely among speakers of all dialects of Arabic. It is used to show appreciation towards a person who has done a favorable act.

Shukran

This is a powerful Arabic word which translates to mean “All praise is due to Allah”. As a Muslim, reciting this word is an integral part of our deen. Both the Quran and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (saw) teach us to say this word daily.More generally, whenever you find yourself benefiting from an accomplishment or achievement remember to say Alhamdulillah. Saying Alhamdulillah is more than just a word, it’s a philosophy. It shows your character and ability to be humble and show humility. All very respectable qualities.

Alhamdullilah

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh (in Arabic: ‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ‎) is an Islamic phrase used for greetings.English translation: “May Peace, Mercy and Blessings of Allah be Upon You Also”.

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

“You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you about something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread salaam (the greeting of peace) among you.”

The response to someone’s greeting is with the word “Wa’alaikum salam warahmatullah” or it can also be added “wabarakatuh”. The meaning of the greeting is “and upon you the salvation and mercy of Allah and His blessings”.In essence, Muslims are encouraged to pray for one another so that good Islamic brotherhood and unity can be established.

Wa’alaikum salam warahmatullah

The meaning is “I seek refuge in Allah from the outcast Shaitan”. It reminds to seek protection from all evil influences and attentions of Satan when we read Quran and then recite salat.Auzubillahi means “I seek refuge in Allah”Minashaitan means “from the shaitaan”Nirajeem means “the accursed”So, when you say this phrase, it means that you are asking Allah to guard and protect the person who said it.

Auzubillah Minashaitan Nirajeem

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Arabic words and phrases | Islamic terms

Four words every writer is dying to hear at least once in life: “One million copies sold.” But you wouldn’t expect to hear them four months after the publication of your second book. Then again, <a href="https://jordanbpeterson.com/about/">Jordan Peterson’s </a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30257963-12-rules-for-life">12 Rules For Life </a>  isn’t just a book. As for his first one, Peterson spent years collecting and refining the ideas that would create a sort of blueprint for a good life. This time, however, the book didn’t flop and sell less than 500 copies.

12 Rules For Life - Book Summary 

Since its publication in January and Peterson’s accompanying world tour, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30257963-12-rules-for-life">12 Rules For Life </a>  completely exploded, dominating bestseller lists around the globe. Suddenly, millions view, listen to, and follow Peterson on social media, he’s racked up over $60,000 in monthly donations through Patreon, and, of course, one million copies sold.

Whether he’s just struck the right nerve at the right time or put his finger on true significance and meaning, only time will tell, but with thousands of people messaging him how the book’s changed their lives, chances are good it’s the latter. Let’s look at 3 of his 12 <a href="http://fourminutebooks.com/simple-rules-summary/">rules </a>to begin to find out:<ol><li>Sweep in front of your own door before pointing out the street is dirty.</li><li>Treat yourself like a child you’re responsible for.</li><li>Aim to do what is meaningful, not convenient.</li></ol>These form the premise Peterson’s book is built on and thus, the context for understanding why it’s been such a success. Let’s go!

Life isn’t fair. We all learn that one way or other. Some of us sooner, some later, some in small ways, some from terrifying blows. But we all realize it eventually. Like the Russian writer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Tolstoy">Leo Tolstoy </a>, who, in his short, philosophical piece, <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Confession_(Maudes_translation)">A Confession </a>, concluded there are only four reasonable responses to the absurdity of life: <ol><li>Ignorance, like a child refusing to accept reality. </li><li>Pleasure, like an addict on the <a href="https://fourminutebooks.com/the-code-of-the-extraordinary-mind-summary/">hedonic treadmill </a>. </li><li>Suicide. </li><li>Holding on, despite everything. </li> </ol>

Lesson 1: Before you judge the world, take responsibility for your own life.

Even though he concluded suicide was the most honest answer, Tolstoy himself chose the last option, forever struggling on, which tells you a lot about his and Peterson’s beliefs about a good life: No matter how unfair life gets, you should never blame the world . There’s always someone who’s suffered worse than you. Like <a href="https://fourminutebooks.com/mans-search-for-meaning-summary/">Viktor Frankl </a>, for example. Besides, even though the future may sometimes look bleak, if you can focus on taking responsibility and keeping your own house clean, so to speak, you’ll find the bad times will pass.

Have you ever gotten a prescription from the doctor and thought: “Naaa, I don’t need that?” Over one third of people do it regularly. According to Peterson, it’s neither smart nor smug. It’s a subversive form of self-punishment. We do it a lot and, as a result, tend to take better care of others than ourselves.

Lesson 2: Care for yourself like you would for a loved one.

Peterson suggests this is a consequence of our inability to deal with the insanity of life described above. Just like Adam and Eve had to taste the forbidden fruit of knowledge, we too indulge in our dark sides from time to time and thus, feel we deserve punishment. But, as with the unfairness of life, we all got thrown out of the Garden of Eden. Like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang">Yin and Yang </a>, we all carry both light and dark inside us. One can’t exist without the other.

That means instead of just striving for either one, we should seek balance, which is why his second rule is to care for yourself like you would care for a loved one: do what is best for you, even though it might not always make you happy .

Balancing your light and your dark side can take many different forms. Sometimes, it may be staying in bed to get healthy, even though you want to work. Other times, it might mean staying late at work on a Friday. However it looks like, it always involves choosing meaning by making a sacrifice, rather than temporary happiness by choosing pleasure .

Lesson 3: Seek meaning through sacrifice, not happiness through pleasure.

Peterson says this is a great coping mechanism, because it helps balance your life between drowning in hedonism and being so righteous it drives you mad. Of course not all sacrifices are equal. Those you make for personal gain, like working overtime to pay for a vacation, hold less meaning than those you make for the greater good, like volunteering on a Saturday.

Even though it might feel like it when you do it, sacrifice is never really about giving up rewards, it’s about deferring them until you can get something even better, usually a feeling of whole-ness or contentment. As such, it’s also <a href="http://niklasgoeke.com/increase-willpower/">great willpower training </a>. I’ll leave you with an analogy Peterson makes. The Lotus flower starts out at the very bottom of the lake, drenched in darkness. Inch by inch, it grows its way towards the surface, until, eventually, it breaks through and into the sunlight. I could sure think of worse ways to spend a life than to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C6QhD0CGjM">be a Lotus flower </a>.

I haven’t gotten around to reading the full book, but I’d like to. It’s full of stories, science, myths, a broad mix of engaging ways to get his message across. It’s mainly targeted at male millennials, but don’t let that stop you. There’s something for everyone in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30257963-12-rules-for-life">12 Rules For Life </a> .

12 Rules For Life - Book Review

This 12 Rules For Life summary explains the key lessons from Jordan Peterson's bestselling self-help book 12 Rules For Life. Read it now.

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12 Rules For Life Summary

For thousands of years, humanity has passionately pursued the Truth with a capital T—the ultimate answers to life and the universe. This perennial knowledge constitutes the answers to what are often called the soul questions:<ul><li>Who am I?</li><li>What do I want?</li><li>What is my purpose?</li><li>What is the meaning of life?</li></ul>

The Soul Questions

Religion: Religions are most often based upon the lives, teachings, and beliefs of a historical or archetypal figure (e.g., Christ, Buddha, Moses, Krishna, Muhammad).Spirituality: By contrast, spirituality is more often based upon the practical application of the founder’s teachings.

Origins of Religions and Spirituality  

Spiritual aspirants heed the advice of Japanese poet Matsuo Basho, “Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought.”

Let’s try to clear things up by taking a closer look at the most defining differences between religious and spiritual paths. Religion: <ul><li>It is an objective experience, there is usually a greater focus on externals. </li><li>It is object referral, you're completely focused on objects like house of worship , books and observances etc. </li></ul>Spirituality:<ul><li>Self-referral, self awareness of your soul. </li><li>Inward journey</li></ul>

Objective vs. Subjective Experience

<ul><li>Moral rules, laws, and doctrines, as well as specific codes and criteria, create the organized structure that contains the religion’s specific belief system. </li><li>The spiritual aspirant recognizes that he or she is on a “pathless path” of self-discovery. They are following not a set of external rules, but their own inner call to spirit. </li></ul>

Organized vs Formless

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson Said : 

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Religiousinstitutions conservatively guard their practices and values, holding rigidly to the past and the original interpretations of the founder’s teachings. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Spirituality embraces change and the evolution of consciousness. With spiritual practice, ideas and interpretations change as individuals, societies, and the world move forward.</li></ul>

Traditional vs. Evolutionary Approach

Traditional religious beliefs, sometimes based upon rigid interpretations of key teachings, can create an exclusive worldview that isolates those who may not share their views or interpretations. Spirituality favors an inclusive approach. In the recognition that pure spirit is a unifying force, no one is left out. You are part of the universal hologram, all gods and goddesses in disguise.

Exclusive vs. Inclusive

Through religion, you are taught to have faith in God or the scriptures as being the infallible and ultimate truth of reality.Spirituality doesn’t dismiss faith; however, it often leans more heavily on direct experience of the soul or divinity.

Belief vs. Spiritual Experience

Despite the best of intentions, religions can sometimes contain a subtle (or not so subtle) undercurrent of fear woven into their teachings. By contrast, spirituality typically discards the vestiges of fear and worry in favor of a more loving, compassionate approach to life—and death.

Fear vs. Love

These comparisons aren’t meant to be absolutes or an attempt to polarize one against the other. Religious beliefs and spiritual beliefs differ in the ways in which they are practiced.Whichever path or combination of the two you follow is the personal and subjective expression of your journey of awakening.

All In All

I've always seen myself get trapped in the fine line that seperates religion from spirituality, the two seem to be interconnected however when you take a deeper dive u see how seperate they are.

The line between religion and spirituality can be very fine, and they are similar in many ways. How do we tell the difference between spirituality and religion?

Religion vs. Spirituality: The Difference Between Them

<ul><li>Many people who are drawn to psychology are also drawn to psychological-sounding woo. </li><li>Astrology, homeopathy, the Myers-Briggs, & the ideas in The Secret all lack evidentiary support -- and can be harmful. </li><li>If you're interested in psychology, you should know why these ideas are bunk. </li> </ul>

Key points

‘“You needn’t go on making remarks like that,” Humpty Dumpty said: “they’re not sensible, and they put me out.”’ – Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

Quote 

Psychology is the science of mind and behavior. It has nothing to do with astrology, The Secret , or other New Age twaddle. But many smart people who are drawn to psychology are sometimes also drawn to psychological-sounding woo. Should we be concerned?

Maybe it doesn’t matter. Some people think these beliefs are fringe and mostly harmless – and besides, most people don’t believe this stuff anyway. But polls suggest the opposite: most of us aren’t completely tethered to reality. <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/16915/three-four-americans-believe-paranormal.aspx">73% of Americans have at least one paranormal belief </a>. A variety of pseudosciences enjoy <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130131050627/http:/www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind06/c7/c7s2.htm#c7s2l3">wide appeal </a>in public society. Woo literally <a href="http://whatstheharm.net/">kills people </a>. Carl Sagan’s <a href="https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1069554">famous foreboding </a>? Gone and boded already, damn it. The point of this post is to offer readers some information about five attractive-but-empty ideas and have a bit of fun in the process.

So What?

Penny : “I’m a Sagittarius, which probably tells you way more than you need to know.” Sheldon : “Yes, it tells us that you participate in the mass cultural delusion that the sun’s apparent position relative to arbitrarily defined constellations at the time of your birth somehow affects your <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/personality">personality </a>.” – The Big Bang Theory

1. Astrology

Astrology is the belief that the position of celestial bodies at the time of your birth influences your personality and life course.Here’s why this is nonsense.First, empirical tests of astrological predictions show that they don’t work. <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/imp/jcs/2003/00000010/F0020006/art00010?crawler=true&mimetype=application/pdf&casa_token=-nXLyQBUeM4AAAAA:IuotCr7MNS2EfvHrfYkpKKNmK5rNY1NUXI3dk3C6Smj3qHb22_N_o99dMEKIBYilYOA1w__azUvh4an24Ac">A meta-analysis of more than 40 controlled studies shows that expert astrologers perform no better than chance </a>, even at predicting basic personality traits such as <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/extroversion">extraversion </a>. <a href="https://muller.lbl.gov/papers/Astrology-Carlson.pdf">Double-blind tests show that astrological predictions are not supported by the evidence </a>. Second, there is no known mechanism by which the planets could influence your personality.

Third, in case you’re thinking it has to do with gravity, it doesn’t – the gravitational pull of the doctor in the room at the time of your birth was stronger than the gravitational pull exerted on you by the planets in our solar system at that same moment. Fourth, for astrology to be correct, it would have to negate pretty much everything we know about physics and psychology. Fifth and finally, there are good reasons to think that belief in astrology is driven by a combination of cognitive biases (such as <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258127972_Myside_Bias_Rational_Thinking_and_Intelligence">myside bias </a>) and ambiguous writing (such as <a href="https://nesslabs.com/barnum-effect#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Encyclopedia%20Britannica,information%20that%20applies%20to%20everyone.%E2%80%9D">Barnum statements </a>).

There’s no bona fide connection between the planets and our personality – there’s just no <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXIWyYtq85E">special Szechuan sauce </a>there.

On a more serious note: it’s helpful to keep in mind that as humans, we have a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4141622/">tendency to see patterns </a>even where there aren’t any. This can be understood through mathematical insights from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88_C-fogY40">Ramsey Theory </a>combined with evidence that our minds are <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/patternicity-finding-meaningful-patterns/">promiscuous pattern detectors </a>.

By the way, these cognitive biases are a <a href="https://areomagazine.com/2021/09/15/a-multicultural-psychologists-take-on-free-speech/">human universal </a>, and we all struggle with them. Nobody is immune! So don’t feel bad if you, like the rest of us, sometimes fall prey to these human foibles. The hope is that learning how these cognitive biases lead us astray will help us become more vigilant when we hear claims about how the world works.

For a dystopian take on the dangers of taking astrology too seriously, check out Season 2 Episode 5 of science fiction series <a href="https://www.hulu.com/series/the-orville-21e70fbf-6a51-41b3-88e9-f111830b046c">The Orville </a>.

The <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/myers-briggs">Myers-Briggs Type Indicator </a> is the most popular personality test in the world – but alas, it’s mostly bullshit. It offers inconsistent results, doesn’t predict life outcomes, ignores key personality variables, and is based on empirically unsubstantiated ideas. The Myers-Briggs Company contends that "the MBTI assessment is designed to be descriptive, not predictive," but it is widely used to predict workplace behavior.. Check out <a href="https://areomagazine.com/2021/03/09/should-you-trust-the-myers-briggs-personality-test/">this essay </a>for a deeper look at the Myers-Briggs.

2. The Myers-Briggs Personality Test

As the famous quip goes, it’s good to have an open mind, but <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFO6ZhUW38w">if you open your mind too much, your brain might fall out </a>[1].

Homeopathy is a form of <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/integrative-medicine">alternative medicine </a>based on the idea that “like cures like” and that diluting substances increases their potency. (Yep, this one’s pungent).

3. Homeopathy

A good way to know that this is bullshit is 1) controlled <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/1800-studies-later-scientists-conclude-homeopathy-doesnt-work-180954534/">studies </a>show that homeopathy <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/homeopathy/#when-used">fails to outperform placebo </a>, 2) it <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2016/02/26/reject-pseudoscience-homeopathy/">contradicts vast swaths </a>of physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine (and you know those sciences work because they cure our infections and give us computers), and 3) <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2291211/">evidence clearly shows </a>that the central tenets of homeopathy – for example, that like cures like and dilution increases potency – are just plain <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.2042-7166.2012.01162.x?casa_token=583NLOgPaR4AAAAA:D0GKzXtg2aiay00ytWlJQtpoyhN-lvWxCDaRR_7ouDg-arrwqPuYGZXmy6snp4RT1WEWMJ8vJ5deer0">wrong </a>. Belief in homeopathy appears to be driven by expectancy effects and the <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/placebo">placebo effect </a>.

Or as Tim Minchin puts it more eloquently in this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhGuXCuDb1U">animated beat poem </a>: “Alternative medicine has either not been proved to work, or been proved not to work. Do you know what they call alternative medicine that’s been proved to work?... Medicine !”

Have you ever wondered what a homeopathic emergency room would look like? Comedy duo Mitchell & Webb give us an idea in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMGIbOGu8q0&t=3s">this brilliant sketch </a>. And in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7Xvqv6RZV0&t=1s">this </a>video, we learn how “double-blind” studies work in homeopathy: you do the study, and then you don’t look at the results…. twice!

Progress was slow for a long time, but many people now recognize that homeopathy is not innocuous nonsense; it’s <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11673-015-9682-0.pdf">dangerous </a>nonsense that <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2687972">kills </a>people every year by steering them away from real treatments. This has led to positive developments like the <a href="https://pseudoscience-manifesto.apetp.com/">European Manifesto against Pseudo-Therapies </a>, which is worth clicking on and reading.

“This was… the usual New Age nonsense… a mush of psychobabble, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/self-help">self-help </a>tips, pseudo-scripture, and Chicken Soup for the Soul.” – Connie Willis, Inside Job

4. The Secret

Ah, The Secret : a bowl-you-over-with-bullshit kind of book. It’s founded on the idea that positive <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/fantasies">visualization </a>will make good things appear in your life, and it repeatedly implies that if your life is beset by misfortune and misery, you’re bringing it on yourself by not thinking positively. Like many other brands of woo, it <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-other-secret/">misuses quantum physics </a>to advance its claims (<a href="https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/pp">classic </a>, I tell you!), and has an <a href="https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/secrets-and-lies/">ugly flipside </a>.

In <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/26/books/review/Chabris-t.html">this piece </a>, two prominent psychologists analyze the dreck peddled in the book, paying special <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/attention">attention </a>to why people are drawn to it. And in a no-holds-barred analysis, <a href="https://markmanson.net/the-secret">this piece </a>explains how the doctrine is founded on a core delusion.

This, ladies and gents and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/gender">non-binary </a>folks, is the NBA All-Star team of bullshit. Bilking people out of their money in exchange for false hope is nothing new, of course. Debunkers like Harry Houdini and <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/james-randi-obituary-1079316/">The Amazing Randi </a>did an excellent job of unmasking con artists in their day. If you’re a student of psychology, make sure you get to know <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Randi">The Amazing Randi </a>. You can start with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk_NAUdVpko&list=PL_krQYPPG4VWJu19BM1j54r3H4bwo2j8U&index=8&t=1s">this great introduction </a>. You should also check out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Honest-Liar-James-Amazing-Randi/dp/B00Z9QEVVE">this documentary </a>about his stellar <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/career">career </a>and riveting personal life. You can find his books <a href="https://www.amazon.com/James-Randi/e/B000AQ26MO?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1613265738&sr=8-1">here </a>.

( these are a few of my least favorite things  )

– ­Connie Willis, Inside Job If you want a bit of a mind-bender, try <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Job-Connie-Willis-ebook/dp/B004Q9TFP2">this brilliant Hugo award-winning novella by Connie Willis </a>, the most decorated science fiction author of all time. Willis weaves seances, skepticism, and romance into a superbly crafted, tightly structured tale that revolves around a central paradox and finishes with a satisfying ending. “Spreading her pernicious astral-plane-Higher-<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/wisdom">Wisdom </a>hokum and bilking her benighted audiences out of their cash.”

Are you a psychology student who believes in some of this woo-woo? If so, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/forgiveness">forgive </a>me, but there is a sense in which you’re missing the animating spirit and methodological backbone of your discipline. The progress of psychology – or, one might argue, the point of psychology – is to explain the human mind in a natural way, one that does not rely on entities or forms of causation for which we have no evidence. Psychology succeeds precisely to the extent that it’s able to naturalize the mind and bring it under the purview of science.

Psychology Students: Could You Be Missing the Point of Psychology?

The goal is a grand one: to understand the mind in all of its beautiful weirdness – déjà vu, the placebo effect, nervousness-induced itch, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/false-memories">false memories </a>, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/synesthesia">synesthesia </a>, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/dreaming">lucid dreaming </a>, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/near-death-experiences">near-death experiences </a>– in a fully natural way that doesn’t violate any known laws of the universe, doesn’t rely on miracles, and doesn’t postulate entities that aren’t needed to explain the phenomena at hand. If you let in spirits or divination or personalities forged by planetary pulls, you’ve given up before the game really got started.

The good news is that it’s never too late to begin thinking of the mind this way. Your brain is a squishy, wet computer that obeys the laws of physics and was shaped by the blind algorithmic process of evolution. Come on over to the dark side! You won’t miss the woo-woo that much, I promise. There’s awe and grandeur in this naturalistic view of the mind. Plus we have <a href="https://theoldvillage.wordpress.com/2004/01/28/douglas-adams-shares-a-true-story/">cookies </a>.

Carl Sagan, who was too much of a gentleman and a scholar to call it “bullshit”, penned <a href="http://hermiene.net/essays-trans/fine_art_of_baloney_detection.html">this well-known essay </a>on how to detect baloney. It is timeless reading for anybody figuring out how to think about the world. Also helpful are Sagan’s book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Demon-Haunted-World-Science-Candle-Dark/dp/0345409469/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=demon+haunted+world&qid=1603954244&sr=8-1">The Demon-Haunted World </a>and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Reality-Know-Whats-Really/dp/1451675046/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia-wc-p13n1_0?cv_ct_cx=magic+of+reality&dchild=1&keywords=magic+of+reality&pd_rd_i=1451675046&pd_rd_r=bc48d44f-9d16-4f46-9155-a0d982dd9f8b&pd_rd_w=afppV&pd_rd_wg=bNhEb&pf_rd_p=5be4970c-0256-4afe-9550-68021bd84e5b&pf_rd_r=K63MGS1Y2F9J1BWSH9S3&psc=1&qid=1603954234&sr=1-1-791c2399-d602-4248-afbb-8a79de2d236f">this young adult book </a>about how we know what’s true.

Sources for Detecting Bovine Stercus

[1] Lewis Carroll’s version was: “If you set to work to believe everything, you will tire out the believing-muscles of your mind, and then you’ll be so weak you won’t be able to believe the simplest true things.” (Letters , vol 1, p. 64)

Quotes

If you're interested in psychology, don't fall for psychology-adjacent woo.

problemsolving

Problem Solving

Detecting Bull**it

“Here the ways of men divide. If you wish to strive for peace of soul and happiness, then believe; if you wish to be a disciple of truth, then search.” ~<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wakitime09-20&keywords=Nietzsche&index=aps&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=xm2&linkId=39e61491bbfc532e8dcc0bb8d63120cc">Nietzsche </a>

To a certain extent, we are always deceived. For we are only human, all too human. But to the extent that we can become aware of deception—both self-deception and the deception of others—being undeceived means being ahead of the curve of the human condition.

First, it means embracing deception as an integral part of life. Then it means being strategically circumspect while creating your own meaning. It means taking everything that you’ve learned into consideration with humility and a good sense of humor. It means becoming so healthy that your very existence is a catalyst for healthy change. It means connecting courage to curiosity. It means taking a leap of courage. It means putting things into proper perspective by using health as a benchmark.

It is, paraphrasing <a href="https://www.wakingtimes.com/bruce-lees-private-letters-explain-really-meant-like-water/">Bruce Lee </a>, “absorbing what is useful, discarding what is not, and adding what is uniquely your own.” Let’s break it down…

“If everyone is thinking alike, then no one is thinking.” ~<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/074325807X/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wakitime09-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=074325807X&linkId=b41a3a37e1afa96c0efc2f500e5609d2">Benjamin Franklin </a> What is useful? Well, if your goal is not only basic survival but also progressive evolution, then what is useful is what is healthy. Contrastingly, what is not useful is what is unhealthy.

Absorb what is useful:

So, how do you figure out what is healthy or not? Through logic, reason, and critical thinking. You cannot wish something into being healthy. You cannot simply believe something is healthy and, by your strong faith alone, expect it to be valid. You can only reason through if something is healthy or not. Once you have reasoned a thing to be healthy, you free yourself to absorb what is useful.

Absorbing what is useful is absorbing what is healthy. The path is then clear to question with a good conscience. You become undeceived. In a state of undeception, you are free to wield the question mark sword, the Sword of Truth, and to use it in a way that distinguishes what’s healthy from what’s not. What is healthy is absorbed as something useful for progressive evolution. What is unhealthy can then be discarded as something useless, so as to avoid an unhealthy society.

“A fool thinks himself wise, a wise man knows himself to be a fool.” ~<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wakitime09-20&keywords=William%20Shakespeare&index=aps&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=xm2&linkId=26cbe500ba6a34a1f703948012da08f7">William Shakespeare </a> Discarding what is not useful (what is unhealthy) requires self-discipline. It requires vigilance. Most people don’t even know that they don’t know the difference between healthy and unhealthy. Especially people who have grown up, culturally conditioned and indoctrinated, in a profoundly sick society.

Discard what is not useful:

How do you know if you were born into a profoundly sick society? 1.) Any society that pollutes the air it needs to breathe is a profoundly sick society. 2.) Any society that pollutes the water it needs to drink is a profoundly sick society.

3.) Any society that pollutes the food it needs to eat is a profoundly sick society. 4.) Any society that pollutes the minds it needs to evolve with is a profoundly sick society.

You must have the self-discipline to daily question what is healthy and what is not. For health is not a matter of opinion. Health is a benchmark. Without this benchmark, you cannot discern what is useful from what is not useful.

As such, belief and certainty are the greatest obstacles blocking us from being able to discard what is not useful. This is especially dangerous when those beliefs and certainties are derived from the cultural conditioning of a profoundly sick society. Hence the importance of vigilance and strategic prudence.

In order to remain undeceived, we must remain circumspect. The Sword of Truth must be unleashed daily so that it may cut through the red tape of wishful thinking, irrational beliefs, and whimsical certitude. It is only when our naïve beliefs have been shattered upon the hard concrete of reality that we are free to distinguish between what is healthy and what is not. As we begin to piece things together, we become undeceived. We are liberated to absorb what is useful and discard what is not.

“Small minds discuss people. Average minds discuss events. Great minds discuss ideas.” ~<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wakitime09-20&keywords=Henry%20Thomas%20Buckle&index=aps&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=xm2&linkId=beaf00caa84487504931248b07abe628">Henry Thomas Buckle </a> Once you have successfully threshed the chaff (unhealthy/useless) from the grain (healthy/useful), you are free to unleash your creativity. From swords to plowshares, your Sword of Truth becomes a Pen of Truth. With it, you are free to create high art; art that shatters molds, stretches comfort zones, and initiates wake up calls. You become free to prove why the pen will always be mightier than the sword.

Add what is uniquely your own:

Here, still, we must remain vigilant. For even art can become dogmatic. In order not to be deceived, we must always be in a state of questioning what we think we know and weighing it against the nonnegotiable scales of healthy/unhealthy. Should our art become dogmatic, we would be wise to absorb what is useful from it and discard what is not. This way we will always be openminded and openhearted enough to add what is uniquely our own.

Outdated truth must die so that it doesn’t taint the updated truth of the times. God must die so that God can be reborn. Creativity thrives off the ashes of old art. Evolution progresses or stagnates in proportion to how creative we can be after having absorbed what is useful (healthy) and discarding what is not (unhealthy).

The art of being undeceived is more like the juggler’s art than the interrogator’s. It should be flexible and adaptable to meet results which are sudden and unexpected. The undeceived understand that the self is masks all the way down perceiving delusions all the way up, and they have the acumen and the wherewithal to juggle both masks and delusions into a state of high humor and even higher art.

Gary ‘Z’ McGee - To a certain extent, we are always deceived. For we are only human, all too human.

The Art of the Undeceived

Like all traditional festivals in China, Chinese New Year is steeped with stories and myths. One of the most popular is about the mythical beast Nian (/nyen/), who ate livestock, crops, and even people on the eve of a new year. (It's interesting that Nian, the 'yearly beast', sounds the same as 'year' in Chinese.) To prevent Nian from attacking people and causing destruction, people put food at their doors for Nian. It's said that a wise old man figured out that Nian was scared of loud noises (firecrackers) and the color red. Then, people put <a href="https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/culture/lanterns.htm">red lanterns </a>and red scrolls on their windows and doors to stop Nian from coming inside, and crackled bamboo (later replaced by firecrackers) to scare Nian away. The monster Nian never showed up again. Click to learn <a href="https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/festivals/chinese-new-year-legends.htm">more legends about the Chinese New Year </a>.

A Legend of the Origin of Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year has enjoyed a history of about 3,500 years. Its exact beginning is not recorded. Some people believe that Chinese New Year originated in <a href="https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/china-history/the-shang-dynasty.htm">the Shang Dynasty </a>(1600–1046 BC), when people held sacrificial ceremonies in honor of gods and ancestors at the beginning or the end of each year.

Chinese New Year's Origin: In the Shang Dynasty

The date of the festival, the first day of the first month in the Chinese lunar calendar, was fixed in <a href="https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/china-history/the-han-dynasty.htm">the Han Dynasty </a>(202 BC – 220 AD). Certain celebration activities became popular, such as burning bamboo to make a loud cracking sound.

Chinese New Year Date Was Fixed: In the Han Dynasty

Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, is the most important among the traditional Chinese festivals. Here is a short history of it.

The history of Chinese New Year can be traced back to about 3,500 years ago. Do you know when the date of the festival was fixed and how the ancient people celebrate this festival?

The Origin and History of Chinese New Year: When Start and Why

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